Really beautiful views of Rainier on a clear day. Still snow on the way up, but manageable with poles and spikes!
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Great hike, will bring fishing pole next time. Think it would be a good place to overnight. Saw a small doe at start of hike. A good hike for Shelley
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First time coming to summit and it was gorgeous! Enjoyed every second of the hike and the lake at the top. Next time planning on camping there.
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I've wanted to do Bearhead Summit for a while due to the alleged amazing view relative to the amount of work required to get to the top. Overall the trail is a decent climb but nothing crazy, a good workout if anything since it's fairly short. I was up in about an hour and a half and down in just over an hour. Gaia had me at 6.39 miles and 1661 ft gain.
Unfortunately it was a very foggy, cloudy day. Summit Lake was barely visible at the T, and a literal white out with fog and clouds at the summit. Although the clouds did try to give way a couple times, but no where near enough to see any part of Rainier. Thankfully the temperature was pleasent and the wind non-existent. As others have said, there are a few downed trees but they aren't too difficult to pass. Trail was 100% snow free although there were some patches up top off the trail that my dog would have liked to rub his face in/dig in. There is ample parkig but there were a good number of cars in the lot at the Summit Lake Trailhead of all varieties when I arrived just before 9. That was to my suprise because I found the road to be fairly rough, but passable in most vehicles if driven slowly/carefully enough (more rocks than potholes, but definitely some tough spots if you are in a sedan or compact). I was in a high clearance vehicle so it was no problem. I'll likely be back when I know it's clear because I know the view at the top is awesome.
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